The present application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/SE00/00889, filed May 5, 2000, which claims priority to Swedish Application No. 9901945-7, filed May 28, 1999. Both applications are expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and device for removing machined chips from a work-piece. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and device for removing machined chips produced by means of a tool rotating on a shaft or spindle arranged in a headstock whereby downtime and the amount of cutting fluid required during machining is reduced.
2. Background Art
When tooling or machining a piece using existing automatic chip removal machines, very large quantities of chips are often produced. These machines may or may not used a cutting fluid for cooling the machining process. Still, even if the actual machining does not require the supply of cutting fluid for cooling purposes, in order to improve chip removal, large quantities of cutting fluid can be used to wash or carry the chips away.
Typically, the cutting fluid used has a low surface tension. One consequence of this property is that it can easily get into undesirable places such as seals and bearings, and can also negatively affect towards electrical and mechanical components. During machining, chips and cutting fluid tend to be thrown around in an uncontrolled manner. This can cause the machine to be shut down for servicing, reducing its availability for tooling pieces. When machining is in progress, the dispersement of the cutting fluid and chips makes it is very difficult to get close to the machine.
Attempts have been made to reduce the dispersion of chips and cutting fluids by arranging a tunnel around the part that is to be machined, clamping devices for the latter and the machining tool. This has been successful in containing the chips and cutting fluid within a more restricted area. However, such a tunnel does not prevent various parts, such as bearing heels, conveyors for moving the part, indexing elements, and sensors from being exposed.
Further, the chips can interfere with sensors for controlling the clamping and machining, leading to false alarms. The chips can also get jammed when clamping the part to be tooled, leading to incorrect machining, production stoppages, and so forth.
The present invention provides a method and device for removing machined chips. With the present invention, the consumption of cutting fluid can be reduced, bringing economic and environmental improvements together with fewer and shorter machine stoppages or down time. This, in turn, increases the machines manufacturing availability and improved manufacturing economy and more available production time.
The present invention includes a tool or die that rotates with a shaft or arbor on a headstock or lathe. The tool can be axially displaced both towards and away from the piece being cut or machined in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the arbor. An enclosure is provided that is arranged around a machining point on the work-piece. A first opening in the enclosure is provided that bears or presses tightly against the piece to be machined. A second opening substantially perpendicular to the arbor is located in a wall of the enclosure. During tooling or machining, this second opening is able to press tightly against a plane plate that is substantially perpendicular to the arbor and arranged behind the tool and around the headstock. By being substantially perpendicular to the arbor, a substantially enclosed space is created in the area around the tool or die and the machining point, or place on the piece being machined.
With the present invention, when the tool is applied to the work-piece, the plate is axially displaced together with the tool against a return force while pressing tightly around the second opening. In doing so, when the tool is applied to the work-piece during machining, the wall of the enclosure having the second opening is axially displaced in relation to the work-piece against a return force, enabling the wall and second opening to tightly press against the plate, thereby maintaining an enclosed space around the point of the work-piece being machined.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the tool is movable in the plane of the plate within the area enclosed by the second opening while pressing tightly against the wall. In another embodiment of the present invention, the enclosure is provided with an outlet opening through which chips produced during the machining process are evacuated. This evacuation can be accomplished by the cutting fluid delivered to the machining point. Additionally, the outlet may have connected to it a negative pressure source. An example of a negative pressure source can include a suction fan.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the first opening has an outline that is congruent with but somewhat larger than the outline of the work-piece and a seal. The outline is designed to allow the work-piece to be at least partially introduced into the space produced by the enclosure into a machining position. An embodiment of the present invention may also be provided with a line for delivering cutting fluid that is arranged to open into the enclosed space.